Broken Destiny
by Little Falcon
Summary: Destiny is something you make... not something that is predetermined. Has Tohru finally found a way to remove the curse? To return to the person she left behind...
1. Prologue: Waiting

**Broken Destiny**

_A/N: I actually had this story inside my head and it just won't go away. The prologue is a song fic because it just fits it perfectly. This is my first story about this series so please read and review onegaii…_

**Prologue: Waiting**

_**Honey why you calling me so late?**_

"Kyou-kun?," the boy of almost twenty with short orange hair almost dropped the receiver as he heard the voice on the other line. "T…To…Tohru…" its been weeks since he last mentioned her name.

_**It's kinda hard to talk right now.**_

"Kyou-kun, who's on the phone?" a girl with shoulder length hair a year or two older than him peeked from the kitchen and asked. "Nobody…" he replied. The entire family was disappointed when they found out she went away for no apparent reason. Each of them had their own hunch about her departure. Eventually, it became an unspoken role never to mention her name ever again.

_**Honey why are you crying? Is everything okay?**_

His heart involuntarily ached as he heard her suppress her sobs. "How are you?" she asked in between her short breaths. "I'm alright…" Kyou clenched his fist. He felt so helpless so… useless.

_**I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud**_

"Where are you? Why did you leave without a word?" he asked in a low tone his cousins passed the corridor. "Gomenasai…" he never wanted to hear her apology. It was the only thing she does when she makes mistakes…

_**Well, my girl's in the next room**_

_**Sometimes I wish she was you**_

How he wished she was still staying on the adjacent room. If she still does, he would tear the door open and wound his arms around her. Hold her tightly and never let her go. But the circumstances now are different, he's with Kagura now. He figured with his remaining time outside, he might as well make her happy though he never really loved her the way he loves Tohru.

_**I guess we never really moved on**_

_**It's really good to hear your voice say my name**_

_**It sounds so sweet**_

_**Coming from the lips of an angel**_

_**Hearing those words it makes me weak**_

"Kyou-kun, please don't hate me…" she begged as she let her sobs be heard. "What are you talking about… how can I ever hate you?" she was his life… before… and even now… he will never hate her…

_**And I never wanna say goodbye**_

_**But girl you make it hard to be faithful**_

_**With the lips of an angel**_

"Tohru… please…come back to me…" he gripped the receiver as his vision turned blurry with tears. Her reply was a painful silence as the rain began to pour outside.

_**It's funny that you're calling me tonight**_

_**And, yes, I've dreamt of you too**_

"Your time is running out…" her voice became stiff as his heart stopped for a moment. She's right… he has less than a week then he'll be locked away again inside the mansion and this time… for good.

_**And does he know you're talking to me**_

_**Will it start a fight**_

"Did he made you go away?" Kyou did not dare mention his name. He hates him too much. "No… he has nothing to do with this. By the way how's Kagura?" she tried to divert the topic to something lighter.

_**No I don't think she has a clue**_

Glancing at the kitchen door and hearing the dishes being washed, "She's okay…" he answered shortly. "When will I see you again?" he gripped the table as he waited for her reply.

_**Well my girl's in the next room**_

_**Sometimes I wish she was you**_

_**I guess we never really moved on**_

_**It's really good to hear your voice say my name**_

_**It sounds so sweet**_

_**Coming from the lips of an angel**_

_**Hearing those words it makes me weak**_

"Kyou-kun, Please give me strength… and reassurance… that… you still love me…" he felt her pain though they were miles apart. It was as if she was standing there, right in front of him. "Tohru… I never stopped loving you… even for a single moment… come back to me please…" his tears trickled down his cheeks but he immediately wiped them away with the back of his hand.

_**And I never wanna say goodbye**_

_**But girl you make it hard to be faithful**_

_**With the lips of an angel**_

"Please wait for me Kyou... for now… sayonara…" Tohru ended the call not even waiting for his reply. As she returned the receiver, she stepped out of the phone booth and let herself be drenched by the heavy rain. Her tears mingled with the pouring water as she looked at the dark sky above.

_**It's really good to hear your voice say my name**_

_**It sounds so sweet**_

_**Coming from the lips of an angel**_

_**Hearing those words it makes me weak**_

_**And I never wanna say goodbye**_

_**But girl you make it hard to be faithful**_

_**With the lips of an angel**_

_**And I never wanna say goodbye**_

_**But girl you make it hard to be faithful**_

_**With the lips of an angel**_

His hands trembled as he slammed the receiver back. "Tohru…" he muttered as his tears continued to flow from his orange eyes. He ran out of the house and into the woods and let himself be soaked by the cold rain water. Mud splashed and splattered as he stepped on the ground but he didn't care.

_**Honey why you calling me so late?**_

"Wait for me Kyou…" one of her statements kept repeating itself in her head as he stared at the thundering skies. "Come back already…" he muttered as his tears joined the rain as it fell to the ground.

_A/N: This song is by Hinder entitled Lips of an angel… I really like this song… read and review onegai…_


	2. Chapter 1: Welcoming Goodbye

**Chapter 1: Welcoming Goodbye**

_A/N: Sorry for the big wait… I had to watch the series again to get myself out of the writer's block I've been having…_

For one whole week sleep didn't touch his senses… from the night that she called up until now she was all he was all she could think of. He sat by the open window with the mountain's scenery as one his bent leg over the window frame while the other was on the floor. "Kyo-kun… it's time…" a sad female voice said from outside his room. Upon hearing this, his almost crimson eyes wandered over the open pathway leading to the house. _She's not coming back… is she? _Painfully, Kyo closed his eyes imagining her walking casually to the house like she always do… carrying bags of groceries and wearing the silly smile on her beautiful face. Unconsciously, he clenched his fists till it bled… _Gomen… I can't wait any longer…_

Composing himself, he looked at himself on the body mirror that he passed by the corridor. Wearing the black silk robe and hakama (A wide split skirt that falls to the ankles), he took in a difficult breath then proceeded downstairs. His eyes glanced at each person waiting for him on the foyer, there was Shigure, Hatsuharu, Momiji and even Yuki. Everyone had the same look in their eyes… pity. _Don't look at me like that. I don't need your sympathy. _Averting eyes from everyone, Kyo met with the person that was supposed to take him to the Souma main house.

"Are you ready?" a grown man wearing the same attire as he is, with his left eye covered with his black hair, eyed him coldly. "Is that a question?" he retorted as he slid the door open. "Arigato…" Kyo mumbled making sure everyone hears it before he was driven off.

The main house was cold and uncomforting as usual. The main gates opened to reveal everyone lined up wearing the same outfit as his. The pathway were bordered with ritual ropes and lighted by fire stands. Alighting from the vehicle, he made his way to the shrine.

As his wooden slippers tapped the stone pavement of the pathway, the usual murmurs and gossips accompanied by the people's disgusted expression welcomed him. "If you don't have something smart to say then don't say it…" Kyo's passive eyes looked at the source of that voice.

_Nezumi… _the boy the same age as his with grey hair and purple eyes cocked his head at him while the old ladies whispered something like 'disrespectfulness'. Indeed, what Yuki had done was one of the greatest forms of insult he could throw at the elders of the family. It was his gesture of respect for him… he was supporting him even though that was the only thing he can do right now. _Baka… _a small smile crept on his face as he passed by him.

At the entrance of the shrine stood the very person he detest the most, his raven hair the same as Yuki's while his dark eyes looked at him with delight. "Playtime's over you disgusting cat," Akito grinned widely as he opened the doors leading to the room in which he will be confined for the rest of his life.

It was dark…cold… and… lonely. "Tohru…" Kyo called with his heart as he begun to step inside while snow started to fall.

"Wait!!!" everyone was surprised to hear the gates open to reveal a girl with waist length brown hair and clear sky blue eyes.

He was hallucinating… Kyo said to himself as he slowly turned around to see the last person he thought of coming. "Honda-san," Yuki said in the middle of the crowd. _What are you doing?! _Kyo suddenly became angry thinking of what the Souma family might do to her.

"Akito-san… I… have fulfilled…my part of the bargain…" the determined reflection in her eyes was undeniable as she stared at the teenage family head. "Bargain?" Shigure's eyes narrowed and his expression for once turned serious. "Tohru-san… are you telling me that…you… have released us from our curse?" Akito smirked at the girl then laughed maniacally. "Hai…" she replied shortly soon after there was a numerous side comments from the family members watching the imprisonment ritual.

"Prove it…" those small words made her knees weak. The courage she had before turned to something else.

_What am I doing? I HAVE broken the curse… but… then… I can't…I musn't ask anything from them... ever again… not after what I have done… _her tears burned her eyes and was threatening to fall when she heard a male voice shout.

Everyone stood there dumbstruck as they saw Kyo rip his bracelet from his wrist, making the beads scatter everywhere. Some ran while others shout as Kyo still stood there unmoving. _Kyo… _her unshed tears were released as their eyes meet. _I trust you… with my life… _that was what his actions meant. Without him knowing, this was the most painful thing for Tohru.

"Kyo…" an older female with shoulder length hair silently cried as she waited for him to transform… but nothing happened. Akito looked at Kyo then snapped his eyes back to the girl in front of him. "I did my part… now… do yours," Tohru's words were… threatening… serious and cold. It was as of she was not the one talking at all.

"Aki-to," there was another unfamiliar voice that came outside. Her onyx eyes widened as he saw a woman with layered red hair. "Reika…" Akito mumbled soon after the woman ran to her arms. She stepped back at first but the girl was the first to initiate the embrace. In the beginning her body was stiff as if her brain was trying to process if it the girl was real. Akito waited for Reika to disappear like she always to when she sees her in her dreams when nothing happened, she returned her gesture a hundred times tighter.

Everyone was even more shocked to see the Akito smiling… not sarcastically but… genuinely. Never had she displayed such strong emotion in public. The family knew her only to be the tyrant family head and not nothing more but now seeing her like this… it was as if… she's… normal.

While they held everyone's attention, no one barely noticed the girl with sapphire eyes silently leaving the scene without looking back. _I'm sorry… I can't stay anymore. _Tears drop like rain to the snow covered pavement as she walked away. _I have no right to be with anyone anymore… most especially you… Kyo. _"Kyo…" she whispered with her trembling lips as she felt her heart shatter.

"Tohru…" his crimson eyes quickly turned to the barren gateway after he recovered his thoughts. _No… don't do this… not again. _With his trained speed, he sprinted out of the gate to find her. "Tohru!!!" he saw a black car and riding in with was a girl with unmistakable brown hair. He was so sure that that's her though he only saw the back of her head. "Tohru!!!" he ran to the speeding vehicle. Seeing her jerk her head in surprise- an indication that she indeed heard his call, he tried to increase his speed but his two legs cannot out run a car's speeding engine.

_Don't leave me. I can't… I can't bare that pain again. _The boy with orange hair found strength to barely tap the window. Though he did, the girl inside only faced forward… never looking at him. Unconsciously, tears trickled down his cheeks as the distance between him and her grew wider. "What's wrong?! Tell me what's wrong?!" he yelled with his all his might to get her to look at him but she never did.

The strap of his wooden slipper broke but he kept on running… barefoot on the snow covered road wanting to look again into her eyes but she can't even look at him. "TOHRU!!!" he called out her name as the vehicle sped up and finally grew out of sight.

_How can you do this to me… you turn me normal then just walk away… don't you know… the only reason I want to be normal… is… you. YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON I WANT TO EMBRACE… _His legs gave up on him though his will still wants to chase after her.

She bit her lower lip hard till it bled… suppressing her sobs as her silent tears cascaded from her eyes but still she kept looking forward… never turning back. _Gomenasai… Gomenasai…_she kept apologizing mentally from the time she heard his call until she could no longer feel his blood from lip mixed with her tears then fell to her clenched fists.

_A/N: I re-edited this chapter after a friend of mine beat the crap out of me for thinking that Akito was a boy and for mistaking that Akito was also part of the Juunishi hahaha. Now that its re-edited I have to read the manga first before updating again._


	3. Chapter 2: Cage of Freedom

**Chapter 2: Cage of Freedom**

_**Little Falcon:**__ Everyone! I'm Baaack! I'm sorry I took too long to update this story I was in a BIG slump. Luckily, I got over it and I'm updating again. So just like always, Read and review please…_

_**Standard Disclaimer:**__ I only own the idea that's all. If I did own this series I'll be the happiest person on earth!!! _

__His orange eyes mirrored the car disappearing in the distant turn. _She's crying… I'm sure she's crying. _His ragged breath came in visible puffs through the freezing air, his feet were almost losing its sensation as he ran barefoot on the snow filled streets just to catch up to her but he didn't care. The curse that bound him from pursuing happiness is now lifted… _What do you want me to do now, Tohru? You're the only one I need. _

The air of celebration filled the Souma manor. Finally… after so many years, after so many attempts, after so many sacrifices, the curse was no more.

"Kyo… where's Tohru?" in the midst of the celebration, there were still people aside from Kyo who feels worried about something else other than celebrating their freedom . His purple eyes glared at him as he tightly gripped his arm. "Where is she?" Yuki was agitated immediately by the short silence.

"I don't know. But I intend to find out," Kyo snatched his arm away and approached the only person in the manor who is not a Souma. Almost everyone stayed out of his way as he marched right up to the girl who is now smiling with the feared family head.

Her onyx eyes returned his threatening glare as she stood protectively in front of their 'guest'. "What do you want?" for a moment, Kyo felt the fear that held him captive for all his years but it quickly dissolved with his urgency.

"Out of the way. I want to know where Tohru went," for as long as he can remember, he never talked to the family head like this. It was always in that polite manner, an inferior tone and his eyes on the ground but not this time. Kyo towered over her form his eyes almost blazing his building anger enough to physically manifest it.

"I don't know where she went," Akito felt the girl behind her touch her shoulders. A gesture for her to stand down. "That girl… she took it upon herself to break the curse. Never have I seen determination like hers. It was as if she herself has the curse," Reika met Kyo's eyes. And with just that, he knew she was telling the truth.

Backing away, he turned around as he clenched his fists so tight they bled. "How did she do it?" his voice was shaking whether it was from anger or something else. They couldn't tell.

_Flashback…_

"Your time is running out…" her voice became stiff as his heart stopped for a moment. She's right… he has less than a week then he'll be locked away again inside the mansion and this time… for good.

Rain poured mercilessly outside the phone booth. The view from the inside was like looking thorough murky water. She was thankful of the loud tapping noise caused by the blankets of raindrops falling from the sky. They made the silence minimal… less painful.

"Did he make you go away?" Kyou did not dare mention his name. He hates him too much. "No… he has nothing to do with this. By the way how's Kagura?" she tried to divert the topic to something lighter.

Something inside her broke as she asked the question. It felt like sprinkling salt over an open wound. Closing her eyes forcefully, she took hold of her emotions and tried to calm down.

"Tohru… I never stopped loving you… even for a single moment… come back to me please…" his voice was shaking. She could hear his breathing as if he too was fighting the urge to cry.

"Please wait for me Kyou... for now… sayonara…" it took all of her strength to be the first to put down the receiver.

Her long brown hair flattened out to her back and clothes as she walked under the heavy rain. Her feet stopped right in front of a long flight of stairs that lead to an old shrine.

Tohru finally raised her head. The wind blew strong as if bidding her to go back. _Kyo…everyone… _she made her first step towards the shrine.

"We have been expecting you," shrine maidens stood stiffly under the roof of the shrine as their eyes focused on the visitor.

"I'm here to ask you to…"

"We know why you're here. Foolish people meddle with other people's affairs. Do you really understand the consequences of your actions upon yourself?" there was a voice that came from within the shrine. The sound made the hair on the back of her head stand.

"No, but I will still find a way to break the curse," thunder clapped as the rain grew stronger still.

"You are not the first to say that yet with all her determination, she failed miserably. Do you think you two are so different?" the old voice asked and then finished with a dark chuckle.

_There was someone, other than me, who is not a Souma that tried to break the curse? _"I don't know," Tohru replied honestly as she stood under the rain.

Then a sad song sang by what sounded like little girls, filled the air. The wind died and the rain stopped.

A candle was lit from inside the shrine. A shadow manifested behind the closed door. For a while it stood there without a word as if staring at her. Then the door slowly slid open.

_End of Flashback_

"I tried to break your curse once," Reika's eyes grew wide in terror upon remembering her trials. "I wasn't even able to enter the shrine," her voice was barely a whisper now. "I couldn't face you after I've failed,"

Akito turned around and watched her ex-'best friend' drown in sorrow. "So the reason you disappeared was because you tried to find a way to break the curse?" she said in a disbelieving tone. When Reika silently answered with a nod, Akito began to slowly laugh out loud. "For all these years, I thought you hated me after finding out the truth about me,"

"Tohru broke the curse… this only means…" Everyone who used to possess the accursed destiny listened intently to what Reika would say next. "She made a bargain with the devil…"

_**Little Falcon:**__ How was it? Read and review please…_


	4. Chapter 3: Unwanted Savior

**Chapter 3: Unwanted Savior**

_**Little Falcon:**__ Nihao! I've finally downloaded Furuba manga… I'm planning to read it once I'm finished with this chapter. Anyway, read and review like always. ___

_**Standard Disclaimer:**__ I only own the idea that's all. If I did own this series I'll be the happiest person on earth!!! _

Her chestnut brown eyes wandered to the high wooden ceiling lined with talismans of different sacred languages a large bon fire roared at the center of the room. _Sometimes I still think you would come crashing from the roof. Just like when we first met. _For a while her eyes were on the roof, and then they focused on the angry flames. Dressed in pure white ceremonial dresses for a priestess, her feet began to take her towards hearth.

Her skin began slowly to bead sweat as she grows near. _I want to go back- to where everybody is. I want to live in Shigure's house. I want to plant strawberries with Souma-kun… I want to see Kyou-kun. _It was until ten that she realized that tears were already tricking down her cheeks and to the wooden floor beneath her. _But this is something only I can do… the ONLY thing I can do for everything they did for me. _The flames grew into a darker shade of crimson as she presented herself so close she could swear she almost feel the flames licking painfully her skin.

"Where is this shrine?!" his crimson eyes begged for her reply as he grabbed Reika's shoulders and shook her roughly. _I want to… no… I NEED to see her! _It had been three days since Tohru broke the curse. Everyone searched for her. Yes, even Akito herself. No one was able to even find a clue to where she might be.

Akito's best friend who is now staying at the Souma manor, Reika, looked at the former cat with a hopeless look in her midnight blue eyes. "I…don't know that myself," few of the former jyuunishi were there to listen. Shigure, Yuki, Kyo and even Akito. "The first time I saw the shrine was in my dream when I first learned about the curse Akito has. That night, I didn't remember falling asleep but I did remember standing in front of a long flight of stairs. As I reached the shrines, there were priestesses waiting for me. And then 'it' appeared," she shuddered under remembrance of her hellish dream.

Just listening to Reika's words made their skin crawl. Something wasn't right. Something doesn't feel right and they didn't need to tell each other that because it was evident in each of their expressions.

"…I can't remember anything after that. All I understood was that I failed to break the curse because my will wasn't strong enough. I was too ashamed to face Akito after that so I tried to think of other ways to break the curse. That was what I was doing when Tohru came for me. When I asked her how she knew me, she only smiled and said I don't need to know you to trust you," there was a smile on Reika's face as she told this part of the story.

"That's to be expected. Tohru is Tohru, after all," Shigure casually and with just that everyone in the room shared the smile Reika has.

At that precise moment, in a sunny morning, lightning struck filling the room with blinding light. As they opened their eyes, they were standing at the foot of a hill. An ancient trail of steps led the way to an ominous looking shrine.

"This…this is," Reika's entire body trembled uncontrollably. "…the shrine…" finally, her body gave way as her consciousness faded. Akito was there to catch her fall.

"Why… are we here?" Shigure's eyes reflected the top of the hill.

Without a word, Kyou began to run towards the stairs. "Tohru!"

"Hmmm, aren't you going?" the dog teased the rat that was only looking at the cat.

"I would do anything to see Tohru again but… I know it's not me she wants to see," his purple orbs eyed Kyou with intense envy. Another blinding light appeared and they were back to where they were except for the cat.

Each step he took felt heavier than the next. His breath was becoming difficult but his eyes never lost sight of the shrine. _Tohru…Tohru…Tohru…_

It was quiet… deafeningly quiet. Not even the sound of the wind or leaves were heard. Trying to catch his breath, he inspected the surroundings. There wasn't anyone around… none that he could see… none that he can sense.

There was a candle lit from inside the shrine. The light gave form to the shadow of the person inside. It was a form he knew so well like his own heartbeat. It belongs to someone he unconsciously knew every detail about. His crimson eyes widened as he quickly slid the doors open. "Tohru!"

Indeed, there she was standing a few feet from him. Her chestnut brown eyes surprised at his arrival at first then they turned into that gentle pair he had grown to love greater each day. "Kyou…-kun?"

Abandoning everything else, Kyou ran up to her but something blocked his path. An invisible wall divided them. She was there… right in front of him, only a few more inches until he can finally hold her but can't.

"What the hell is this?!" the pounded the unseen barrier with his trained strength as his eyes never lost contact with hers.

For a moment, she watched him carefully, memorizing every detail about him. Slowly, Tohru approached him. "You look well, Kyou-kun," it was only until that time that she realized that she was already crying. "…I'm sorry. I'm just so glad to finally see you again," she clumsily wiped her tears away but they were soon replaced with new ones.

"Tohru, what did you do?" his fists felt numb from the pain of hitting their invisible wall but his heart felt like it was being squeezed mercilessly. "Please tell me… why you can't come back to me?" he opened his hand as his eyes begged for her reply.

Her hands sought his even through the unseen divide. Silently, her tears continued to flow while their eyes said so much that words can never express. "I'm sorry, Kyou-kun. I had to do it. It was he only way to break the curse… for you to finally be free,"

Hearing her words almost struck physical pain to his soul; the hurt in her eyes was so obvious he could almost feel it. "Free? What exactly do you mean by that?" his eyes focused on their hands that cannot touch. "Don't you understand? Being with you sets me free. If you can't be by side… freedom is nothing more than an empty word," his voice shook as again he pounded the walls.

Tears came relentlessly as Tohru heard this. Her entire body shook because of her restrained emotions. "Kyou-kun…" she muttered as her she closed her hand.

"What good is it that the curse is lifted when… I can't hold you," finally, his tears can no longer be ignored. They quickly trickled down his face and onto the wooden floorboards.

"Kyou-kun…" he never got to hear her next words because the next moment he was back in the room with the others. Again, Tohru disappeared.

_**Little Falcon:**__ I'm reading Furuba manga right now. I fond it addicting already! Read and review please. _


	5. Chapter 4: Curse of Loyalty

**Chapter 4: Curse of Loyalty**

_**Little Falcon:**__ I'll be busy this month but I'll update whenever possible. I promise! So do your part, read and review please!___

_**Standard Disclaimer:**__ I only own the idea that's all. If I did own this series I'll be the happiest person on earth!!! _

A petite middle school student was taking her time waking to the nearby park. Apparently, she was too early for her date. Her eyes were the same shade of a tiger's but her demeanor was completely opposite. It was the day before New Year. _I wonder what I'll get him._ As she passed a glance across the street, her body froze. _That's… _"Onee-chan… (Big sister)"

The older girl across the street had shorter hair light brown hair now but her face was exactly the same- beautiful and gentle. She was talking with somebody. A guy about her age as well with unusual long silver hair.

"Tohru onee-chan," her voice was still low despite her effort to get her attention. Her eyes were glued on Tohru even when she was about to cross the street, just to get near her.

"Kisa!" there was a rough pull on her arm and a second after, a car almost raced through her. "Are you alright?!" his chocolate brown eyes reflected his worry as he released her from his protective embrace just to see if she was unhurt.

"Hiro-kun…" tears were streaming down her eyes even before Kisa began to explain.

"What is it? Are you hurt?!" he quickly took a quick look at her.

"Please… please… onee-chan... call Tohru onee-chan," she said in between her sobs as she weakly pointed at the person across the street.

Immediately, Hiro saw who she was pertaining too. For months, they have been trying to even get a clue to where she could be and now, here she is, just across the street. The lights were still green and the streets were packed with traffic, making it impossible to cross.

From her peripheral vision, she thought she saw two familiar faces. Entertaining her curiosity, she let her chestnut brown eyes wander across the street. Her pupils dilated as her heart almost stopped beating. _Kisa…Hiro… _From the way the two looked at her, she knew they had already identified her.

"What is it?" the person standing in front of her was about to look as well when Tohru immediately responded with a short nothing then led him away.

_He can't see them! He just can't! Kisa, Hiro, please don't even think of following us. _Her actions remained composed despite the chaos in her mind. The black car timely stopped in front of them, ordered to take them home.

"She's gone…" Kisa and Hiro followed Tohru as the lights turned red but all they saw was a black car taking her away.

***** 

Unusually, the entire Souma family came together voluntarily for the first time. Every New Year before, Akito obliges the Jyunishi to attend the banquet with him but now, no obligation is given. Somehow, this was their first act of freedom.

Unlike before, the atmosphere held no tension. For the first time, it really felt like a celebration. But their smiles still wasn't enough to fool each other that they worry about the person who gave them this freedom they are enjoying now.

His crimson-like eyes wandered to the open window across him. His chest like it was being squeezed, even breathing took effort. _Where are you Tohru? Are you celebrating New Year alone again? _He remembered the first time him and Yuki spent the New Year with her in Shigure's house. The look in her tear-filled eyes while gazing at her mother's photograph thinking that she would be spending the New Year alone for the first time. _Please… don't let her be alone…_

"Excuse me, Sir! You can't enter this place!" a maid's voice was heard from the long corridor of the room.

The sliding doors opened abruptly, surprising everyone. A man about twenty with long silver hair and brilliant green eyes entered the room uninvited. "Enjoying your freedom, I see," this man rudely flashed a smirk as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Akito-sama. He forced his way in," the maid bowed in apology and was trying to see the intruder out but he won't budge.

"Don't you think it's rude not to invite me to your _new_ banquet?" everyone in the room grew anxious. Clearly, this person knew a lot about them and they knew nothing about him at all.

"Hiro… he's…" the former tiger tugged her boyfriend's shirt as Hiro stood in front of her protectively.

"Oi Nekko, (cat)" the former sheep arrogantly called for Kyou's attention.

"And who might you be?" Akito's true gender as a female was finally exposed after the curse was lifted but that doesn't mean she's not going to act like the head of the family just because of her gender. Shigure, the former dog, was standing at her side when she stepped forward to ask.

Kyou's attention was diverted from Hiro to the sound of the footsteps running to the room. His heart stopped beating for almost an entire minute as his mind tried to register what he saw.

"Akaya-sama!" the doors burst open and revealed a girl about twenty wearing a priestess' black robes. Her light brown hair now fell till her shoulders- the upper half tied up.

"Ah, Tohru mikko (Priestess Tohru)," the intruder smiled at her while the others still remained speechless.

Her chestnut brown eyes instantly scanned each person in the room, showing no signs of elation, before she met with Akaya's welcoming gaze. Without hesitation, her body moved to stand in between him and the Souma family.

"Tohru…" Akito was the first to recover from her surprise and also because she was the closest one to her at the moment.

"What are you doing here, Akaya-sama?" her voice held no warmth or gentleness that everyone knows her for. Her back was against them, preventing them to see her face.

"I was only introducing myself to the _former_ Jyunishi," the smile he gave was so innocent, it made their skin crawl. "Now that you're here, why don't you introduce me instead?"

Not a moment of delay, Tohru turned around to look at the Souma family for the first time since she broke their curse. "He is Tsukimori Akaya. The last descendant of the Tsukimori clan… the family who cursed the Souma clan," her voice was monotonous as her eyes held no remorse over what she just said.

"Na…nani?!" there was an immediate commotion in the room.

"Oh that's right! Since you've introduced me, why don't you introduce yourself as well?" Akaya walked right to her side just to take a look at how the Souma's would react at what she's going to say next.

"And I'm Honda Tohru… the last apprentice priestess of the sorcerers who were ordered to place the curse on your family," each word stabbed a knife through her heart but she did not dare let her voice or her face betray her. Brilliantly, she preformed well as the heartless person she was _supposed _to be.

_What did she say?! _

_**Little Falcon:**__ Read and review please!_


	6. Chapter 5: Cruel Kindness

**Chapter 5: Cruel Kindness**

_**Little Falcon:**__ I had tried to find time to update since this is the only time I can take my mind off the things that make reality very boring. Sorry for the blabbering, read and review okay?___

_**Standard Disclaimer:**__ I only own the idea that's all. If I did own this series I'll be the happiest person on earth!!! _

"Don't you think it's odd? The way fate works?" some strands of his ling silver hair flowed down Tohru's shoulders as he leaned his head on the girl's shoulder. His brilliant green eyes were staring at Souma's with pure innocence it sent shivers down their spine. "How she managed to find herself surrounded by the very people her family had cursed? And her having no idea at all?" her tone was calm but mocking.

Each word, no even each second without hearing Akaya's statement, just being in their presence alone made her feel like she was the worst criminal on earth. Right then and there, she wished that the ground would open up and swallow her whole instead of being under their betrayed gaze. But her chestnut brown eyes didn't dare show any of these flaws. Like a trained dog, she stood by her master and remained quiet until told to do something. _Its better this way… its better for me to be hated… it's what I deserved. _

Even with all the shocking revelations that night, he still can't take his eyes off her. _Gods… she's so… beautiful. _He already called himself a hundred kinds of stupid but she was all he can think about right now. She was all that he could see. Even with her cold voice, Kyo was so sure that she was lying and it was killing her.

"Maybe it was her inherited guilt that lead her to feel that certain attraction with your family, don't you think?" Akaya pressed on cruelly, amused by the Souma's baffled expressions.

"You're lying!" it came from the last person everyone thought of. Her voice was loud and clear and her tiger eyes for the first time were carrying that dangerous glint the predator was known of.

"Kisa…" the former sheep, Hiro, held the girl's shaking hand but didn't make any move to stop whatever his girlfriend was about to say.

"We saw you… we already saw you together. Tohru-oneechan… she… she protected us. She led you away from us so you couldn't see us," hot tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looked at her. "Isn't that right onee-chan?"

_Nani?! _Akaya's eyes immediately darted towards his priestess who was still unmoving under his command. "Is that true?"

Given an order to speak, she did. Her eyes remained looking forward but not at anyone particularly. "I'm afraid you're being too presumptuous. When I saw you that day, I lead Akaya-sama away so _he_ didn't need to see you. I was protecting _him __**not you**_," this time she stared directly at the former tiger with an indifferent look.

"Onee-chan…" Hiro pulled Kisa into his arms just to prevent her from getting hurt more.

"Tohru!" the serious looking man with his other eye covered by his hair stepped forward followed by the others.

"Stop trying to convince yourself it's not true," everyone grew silent as she spoke again with a spine-chilling smirk on her gentle face. "…the reason why your life is so screwed up; why you can't be with your family, why you can't mingle with your friends, why you can't love the one you want… was because of me… because of what my family had done."

Everyone was taken back by her cruel truth. "I understand it now. The reason why I felt the need to be kind to everyone… it was because the blood in my veins was screaming with guilt from what my family had done to yours. In the end, I broke your curse not because I care… but because it was my **obligation**,"

His green eyes gleamed with triumph upon hearing his priestess' statement. His smirk grew as he was the horror-stricken expression of each Souma present… except for one.

"Stop uttering words that are hurting you more than it hurts us, Tohru," his crimson eyes reflected her clenched fists. His heart felt like being stabbed by a hot sharp knife but he was sure that what she was feeling was a hundred time more painful.

_Please…please stop talking. _Forcing her eyes to remain looking at nothing, her heart begged to see even a part of his shadow. When she thought, she had already lost her heart, his statement made her realize that she still has it… just because it was breaking again.

"So what if your family was the one to place the curse on ours? It's not your sin just because the same blood is in your veins. The things you did for us… the things you sacrificed… the tears and the smiles you gave were not out of guilt… everyone here knows that," Kyo began to walk towards her as the other Souma's dropped their accusing eyes and looked at her with the same warmth she had grown accustomed to.

"And even before we know what you've done… you're already forgiven… a hundred times over," he was standing before her eyes so that she had no choice but to look at him.

For the first time since she felt their eyes met. The longing to be in his arms and be wrapped with his warmth tripled upon being under his loving gaze. Her shaking hands was about to touch his hand when someone forcefully pulled her away.

"You're blind trust will only hurt her more," Akaya stood in between Kyo and Tohru. His green eyes battled with the crimson ones. "…so sad, she already belongs to me," he whispered only for the two of them to hear.

_What did he just say? _Kyo was taken by surprise he was unable to react.

"Well then… a Happy New Year to you all," Akaya bowed with an arrogant greeting then walked away.

Tohru did the same but everyone saw a faint smile on her face. It was a smile that was warm and gentle… the smile only she can give. It was only for a second then she followed her master out of the manor.

As soon as they stepped out of the Souma compound, Akaya dropped his nonchalant façade and turned around to look at his miko (priestess).

**SLAP!!!**

"Don't you ever forget that every drop of blood in your body belongs to me… every breath you take and every beating of your heart is in my command," Tohru wiped the blood on her lips with the back of her hand.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I know you still care for them more than you do about me. If not then you wouldn't have said those heartless things to them," he touched her bruised cheek gently. "You wanted them to hate you right? Because if they hate you… they can no longer be hurt with you being with me… if they hate you… they can easily forget about you," Akaya pressed on the bruise mercilessly. "What a masochistic priestess I have,"

_**Little Falcon:**__ read and review please…_


	7. Chapter 6: Wishing for Pain

**Chapter 6: Wishing for Pain **

_**Little Falcon: **__My busy days are officially over! *Stretches* finally, I'll be able to update again! Watch out! Here we go again! Read and review just like always, okay?_

_**Standard Disclaimer:**__ I only own the idea that's all. If I did own this series I'll be the happiest person on earth!!! _

Minutes have passed after the sliding door closed. Not one word was spoken. Barely a breath taken. Almost nothing felt alive. Their eyes still focused on the closed door.

"What the hell was that about!" his crimson eyes burned with anger as his voice woke everyone from their trance.

"What the dark priestess said was true," on the other side of the room, stood the elders of the Souma clan with horror-stricken faces.

"It was years ago when we tried to trace the origin of the curse. We ended up looking for the Tsukimori clan but according to our sources, the clan was already wiped out. To find the last descendant, it seems Honda Tohru _did _her job," another said with a sadistic smile on her wrinkled face.

"What are you saying? Honda-san broke our curse because she cares not because of anything else," his purple eyes bore holes on the elders' faces as he stared at them directly for the first time.

"Yuki, how dare you…" one outraged elder stepped forward.

"That's right! Tohru is Tohru! Even though she said she's from some sorcerer family, Tohru is and will always be _our_ Tohru," Signs of maturity were evident in his tone as he stepped forward to stand beside the former rat.

"Momiji…"

"So? What the hell are you still doing here you stupid cat?" The former cow forcefully pushed Kyo away from the scene as he let out his 'dark' side.

A push. That's right; all he needed was a push to get himself racing towards the manor gates. _Tohru…Tohru… please wait… don't go!!! _Almost stumbling and tripping he arrived at the snow covered path, only to see the footprints half-covered by the falling snow. The crimson stain in a near corner waited to be seen but never was.

*****

A large ceremonial flame roared majestically in the middle of an old shrine. Blood drops that seem to originate from the fire led to the priestess that was lying battered and beaten to the floor.

The wooden floor creaked as another person entered the shrine. His socked feet stood inches away from her bloody face. "Failed again, I see." His emerald eyes reflected the maiden struggling to get up. "The Soumas will be disappointed to know that their curse was **not** broken after all and that it was only transferred to one person," his silver hair slid against his shoulder as he squatted to look at her defeated expression. "Tell me my dark priestess, all this time what makes you think that you single-handedly can break this curse when so many have died trying," his voice was like that of a little kid asking a cute question.

"I…I don't get it," she spat the blood that was beginning to fill her mouth. The iron taste on her tongue was something she had grown accustomed to. "Every single time I tried… you are always here to mock me because I've failed. What I don't understand is…" Tohru pushed herself up to painfully sit. "Are you her to berate me because I've failed once again? Or are you always here because you're afraid I'll succeed?"

**SLAP!!!**

The familiar taste of metal again filled her mouth. From her lips trickled the crimson liquid that seems to fill the shrine. Without saying another word, Akaya left the hall.

When he was no longer in sight, the priestess coughed out a great amount of blood she fought to keep in. Her body felt a hundred times heavier. Every inch of her skin felt like it was being peeled off. Every part of her bone felt like it was being crushed. Her ears rang and her eyes could barely see.

_This pain… this suffering… is the proof that they're okay, so no matter how great… I can stand it. _Her chestnut brown eyes looked back at the ceremonial flame that bore witness to all everything that has happened ever since she decided to step into the Tsukimori Shrine.

_Flashback…_

A voice in the back of her head yelled at her, implored her not to continue, to run away as fast as she can from this place but something else overthrew this voice… _I want to see them happy… free. I want to see Kyo-kun smiling. I don't ever want to see him looking at the future with an empty heart. If there is something that only I can do for them… I'll do it without hesitation. _It was only then did she realize that the voice came from her.

Her chestnut brown eyes stared openly at the person sitting in the middle of the run-down shrine. From behind the sliding doors, the voice held authority and confidence that only age can bring. This person who's probably the same age as her looked at her with his brilliant green eyes as he threw a strand of his long silver hair back at his shoulder.

"I knew there was something unique about you…" the voice that she heard indeed came from this person. "You honestly don't know the history of the sins that flow in your veins, Honda Tohru,"

Suddenly, every ounce of strength in her body was drained, leaving her body dropping to the floor almost lifelessly. Instantly, the person's feet were right in front of her eyes.

"Do you even understand the affinity of your blood with mine?" as he said those words, he was drawing a blade against her skin. Tohru was unable to even flinch. "Your dangerous ignorance annoys me," his lips almost touched her ear as he whispered while watching her blood pool around her open wrist.

"You've been living a dream all this time. You should've chosen to remain dreaming but instead you decided to wake up. Now, I'll tell you _things_ that dreams are not made of,"

When he was almost done, Tohru's eyes remained open for the longest time. Her fingers scratching the floor, trying her best to struggle, not wanting to hear more.

"So this is my deal Honda Tohru… I'll _tell _you how to break the Soumas' curse only _**if **_you can also break **mine**,"

_**Little Falcon:**__ Read and review please…_


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